Updated Guide on how to use a Proxy to intercept the Instagram API

[SK4P3]

Hi,

In the past few days I tried to proxy the Instagram private API myself and had some issues. Mainly it was version related but now that I figured it out I made a quick guide on my website on how I did it.

Feel free to leave your feedback!

[BlackPhoenix134]

Great work!

[adw0rd]

Thank you!

[Wathfea]

Hi, thanks for the article, currently I'm trying to follow your steps but I run into a problem.
In this section Using Proxyman to intercept encrypted traffic on the step 2 Enable the following domains in the Proxyman Tools/SSL Proxying List I didn't see the lised domains. In proxyman I didn't see android studio at all, the emulator is running but I didn't see any communication in it. Can you help what am I miss?

[SK4P3]

just got home, yes adb is required if you want to debug android devices / attach them to your shell.
Great that you figured it out!

[Wathfea]

@SK4P3 Hi, thanks for the feedback. Maybe can you help me with intercept the calls on my phisical device?
I installed the proxyman ssl cert on my phone.
I added the proxy ip in the wireless settings on my phone.
I removed the instagram app data and reloged.
I enabled in the settings the allowed user installed certificates and the tls option too.
I see the crypted communication in postman.
I enable SSL but I still got the following error:

The certificate is double checked installed on my phone.

What am I missing?
I tried Charlsmen too based on @adw0rd your article about the topic but I got the same error. I saw someone in the comment under the article also encountered the same situation.

Could be a workaround if I transfer the rigged apk to my phone @SK4P3 ?

Thanks.

P.s.: How much important is to use set_user_agent and set_device with matching details in instagrapi if I use proxy?
Can I just simply leave the default settings and use a good proxy or it is better to change these settings and match them to my current phone @adw0rd ?

[SK4P3]

Hi @Wathfea did you install a patched APK on your phone? You need to install a patched Instagram version without certificate pinning and use the APK version I used in my article, at least that is what worked for me because otherwise the SSL Handshake will not work. I think this is because Instagram made some changes to the certificate in newer versions.

[Wathfea]

Hi @SK4P3 , thanks for the suggestion, no I did not tried it yet. I thought it too ,too use the patched APK but I wasn't sure. Thanks again, this way I'm sure it will be working!

[Wathfea]

I tried to install the APK @SK4P3 but my phone uses android 13 and when I waant to nstall the apk it sad unable to install because the application is not compatible with my phone. (Sorry for the lot of questions but android dev is out of my knowledge)

Could be the problem the apk x86 version?

These are my phone props wwhich APK should I download and mock?

arm64-v8a - Android 6.0+ - nodpi 240.2.0.18.107 APK 364004852 -> This maybe good?

[DakaRRR]

Hello, about this step:
3. Replace fb_network_security_config in res/values/private.xml and AndroidManifest.xml, with network_security_config
Can not find private.xml
Values folder -

[SK4P3]

do you have the right apk version? does it work anyway?

[PasTrik]

it's work anyway ?

[Victorsitou]

I'm facing the same issue, I downloaded version 240.2.0.18.107

[DakaRRR]

do you have the right apk version? does it work anyway?
yep apk version from guide link, its opening but i can not lister reuqests, onsta locking and stop working after im turn on proxies in emulator

[maatheeus]

Does it still work? It didn't work here, neither on the emulator nor on the physical device.

[SK4P3]

What's the error? I haven't tried it since so I don't know if it still works or not...

[maatheeus]

Can not find private.xml and SSL Handshake Failed. Using the same version of Instagram app in the guide.

[cengizili]

Do the related configurations on public.xml instead of private.xml it'll work..

[cengizili]

The method is still working but the responses are not in a readable format. I'm assuming they're compressed with zstd but decompressing them gives a dictionary mismatch error.

[subzeroid]

Because Instagram responds with glued objects, you need to break them up and read them separately, look at the raw response and everything will be clear

[cengizili]

Yes, removing the accept encoding header gave the clear response.

[Victorsitou]

Do I need to log in with Facebook, or is it possible to log in with username and password?

[vishhvak]

This seems to be missing - Remove line 4564 item name="android:textColorHint">@color/igds_tertiary_text/item> in res/values/styles.xml

Can't find it - line 4564 has @color/grey_0

Using arm version, on an m1 mac

Trying to build the apk nonetheless gives me these errors:

I: Building resources...
W: /instagram/res/values-h640dp/layouts.xml:3: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values-h640dp/layouts.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /instagram/res/values-land/layouts.xml:3: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values-land/layouts.xml:4: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values-land/layouts.xml:5: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values-land/layouts.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /instagram/res/values-sw600dp/layouts.xml:3: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values-sw600dp/layouts.xml:4: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values-sw600dp/layouts.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /instagram/res/values-v26/layouts.xml:3: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values-v26/layouts.xml: error: file failed to compile.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:3: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:4: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:5: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:6: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:7: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:8: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:9: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:10: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
W: /instagram/res/values/layouts.xml:11: error: invalid value for type 'layout'. Expected a reference.
brut.androlib.exceptions.AndrolibException: brut.common.BrutException: could not exec (exit code = 1): [/var/folders/t8/pj358_hn58n946vqrtpwy85r0000gn/T/brut_util_Jar_78053126303424100762822585138410505082.tmp, compile, --dir, /instagram/res, --legacy, -o, /instagram/build/resources.zip]

@cengizili @SK4P3 Any help here?

[barutlift]

Hi,

In the past few days I tried to proxy the Instagram private API myself and had some issues. Mainly it was version related but now that I figured it out I made a quick guide on my website on how I did it.

Feel free to leave your feedback!

thanks for all man